Harri Haapasalo

• D.Sc. Tech., M.Sc. Econ.
• Professor (Full) at University of Oulu

Despite its potential benefits, knowledge of the carbon handprint notion lacks the necessary means to address products and services in a structured manner, hindering appropriate methodological implementation and limiting support for firms’ cleantech activities. Furthermore, an essential link to the product management perspective is lacking. To addr...

Purpose: Dynamic pricing is a pricing strategy in which product prices are dynamically adjusted based on factors relevant to the pricing model. This study aims to fill a research gap in understanding the dynamic pricing of Configure-to-Order (CTO) products in the business-to-business (B2B) sales context. The primary objective is to understand the d...

Purpose: This study explores how the identity of a user group consisting of interface stakeholders is formed and maintained within a larger project. Study design/methodology/approach: We employed a qualitative research design coupled with an inductive case study method. User group interviews served as the primary research data, and project document...

Purpose: This research aims to expand stakeholder integration in the context of urban development projects. The aim is to identify key integration mechanisms and activities required for productive stakeholder collaboration. Study design/methodology/approach: The study follows theory elaboration approach and multiple-case study method. The case proj...

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) often lead to combined or supplementary offerings, where the products, or services of the merging or acquiring companies are integrated into a new combined product portfolio. Nevertheless, integrating the offerings can be challenging due to structural differences or inconsistencies in the products. Systematizing produ...

Purpose Industrialized construction has brought about expectations of improved productivity in the construction industry. However, the lack of a commonly accepted definition has created confusion regarding the types of development covered by the industrialized construction umbrella. These inconsistent definitions convoluted the discussion on this p...

Productivity has been modest in construction due to many reasons, especially project-specific operations and fragmentation. The main aim of this research is to map the challenges toward industrialization in construction through a comparative study of the manufacturing industry. An inductive approach and a qualitative method are followed by applying...

Productivity has been modest in construction due to many reasons, especially project-specific operations and fragmentation. The main aim of this research is to map the challenges towards industrialization in construction through a comparative study of the manufacturing industry. An inductive approach and a qualitative method are followed by applyin...

The development of novel adsorbents for water treatment has become a significant branch of materials science and environmental engineering, with annual research output growing exponentially. New adsorbents, however, are typically not developed beyond the laboratory scale, creating a discrepancy between research volume and commercial adoption. This...

Large hospital construction projects demand a better way to deal with uncertainty and complexity connected with the large number and variety of stakeholders, their individual goals, and the alignment of their goals with the shared project goals. As observed by various scholars, these conditions often lead to opportunistic behaviours among project s...

Our article aims to investigate network relationships from the perspective of a network of stakeholders involved in a complex and dynamic environment. We adopt the social network analysis approach to explore the structural characteristics of different types of networks and their implications in terms of the coordination and control of project stake...

Developing circular economy products involves a wide array of stakeholders that affect different phases of the product development process. This article studies stakeholder management in circular economy product development by conducting a case study on a circular materials producer in the mining industry. The key stakeholders were identified, cate...

Purpose The research problem in this study is how a client (as a project owner) should organise early stakeholder involvement and integration in the front-end phase of a project. This study aims to create normative managerial statements as propositions from the client's perspective and to combine them into a set of activities enabling efficient org...

Purpose This study aims to facilitate consistency of information in building information modelling (BIM) and address the current BIM gaps through the perspectives of the productization concept and product structure (PS). Design/methodology/approach The study follows a conceptual research approach in conjunction with a single case study. First, the...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company. Design/methodology/approach Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the...

The complexity, multifunctionality and multidisciplinary nature of public healthcare have created a challenging environment in which to plan, organize and manage healthcare processes. Among the main challenges are the governance model and the fact that there are numerous stakeholders. This study analyses the regional public healthcare process throu...

https://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/yritysten-kasvun-kiihdyttamiseen-ja-pirullisten-ongelmien-ratkaisuun-on-jo-keinot/cd169283-ef53-41ed-8ebc-91cbdd40267c PK-yritykset tarvitsevat tukea innovointiin ja tuotekehitykseen Suomen Yrittäjät, Finnvera sekä työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö teettävät kaksi kertaa vuodessa PK-yritysbarometrin. Syksyn 2022 PK-yri...

Purpose - This article aims to address the confusion related to the meanings of interorganisational cooperation, control, coordination and collaboration in collaborative projects by developing a conceptual framework. From this, the authors aim to describe the links among these concepts in terms of development levels of stakeholder relationships. In...

The construction industry has been suffering from modest productivity development in recent decades. To address the recognized problems, collaborative delivery methods are replacing traditional project delivery models, especially in large and complex projects.The aim of this research is to describe the production capability creation (PCC) process a...

Earlier research has demonstrated that in a project organization, project identity is a central leadership vehicle that offers a useful means for examining and developing shared interests and goals among project participants. However, little research has focused on project identity formation and identity maintenance. We focused on the case of a lar...

Purpose This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the elements for creating the maintenance capability and the process to be used in construction life cycle projects for buildings. Design/methodology/approach An inductive a...

For decades, the construction industry has been searching for avenues to improve productivity. One potential direction for improvement is industrialisation, which involves repetitive and modular products and standardised processes to achieve economies of scale. This article describes an industrial operation model (IOM) based on the literature and u...

Purpose-Integrated project delivery (IPD) and building information modeling (BIM) have been discussed as prominent collaborative concepts in recent architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) literature, thus recommended for more advanced value creation. However, they have been studied predominantly as discrete even though they are typically h...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the areas and logic of integration of different stakeholders using different methods and to analyse their applicability and challenges in practical projects. The main aim is to describe how these different methods impact value creation. Design/methodology/approach Action design research was carried...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define the integration capability dimensions and create a model for self-assessing the integration capability in inter-organizational projects. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical construct of, referred in this study as integration capability framework is elaborated following a systematic literature re...

The importance of stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management is magnified as project complexity increases. Complex projects can be characterized by uncertainties arising from emerging technologies and the involvement of various types of stakeholders and their interests. Positive Energy District (PED) projects are an example of such undertaking...

Construction work is one of the most hazardous industries worldwide. Accidents, incidents, injuries, occupational diseases, and illnesses at work represent a significant burden for various stakeholders, including society. Different project management approaches have been introduced to facilitate construction work and occupational safety (OS) in pra...

Purpose – This study primarily aims to analyse stakeholder management challenges and how these emerge in the stakeholder landscape in a large hospital project. From this analysis, the authors aim to identify the implications that stakeholder management has on value creation in a hospital project. Design/methodology/approach – The research method is...

Purpose: The implementation of building information modeling (BIM) has been previously approached from various perspectives, but confusion regarding BIM's full potential and on how to apply it remains. The whole is viewed from distinct perspectives to reflect the full potential and explain the tentatively unused potential. Study design/methodology...

The objective is to conceptualise data-driven and fact-based product portfolio management (PPM). The study examines how PPM process is internalised in companies and proposes a concept that covers all PPM performance management areas (strategic fit, value maximisation, and portfolio balance) to transform profitability analysis from company-level to...

We investigate stakeholder relationship management and identify challenges that impact relationships at the healthcare process level using the inductive research approach. We adopt an inductive approach and grounded theory method since there is a need for detailed descriptions on stakeholder network, especially on relationship management. The emerg...

The objective of this study is to analyze the potential of company data assets for data-driven, fact-based decision-making in product portfolio management (PPM). Data assets are categorized from the PPM standpoint, including (product/customer/ …) master data, transactional data, and interaction data (e.g., IoT data). The study combines literature r...

Purpose: In this article, the utilisation of a case side stream, aqueous paint sludge is studied in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The study's main objective is to find new potential utilisation possibilities for aqueous paint sludge generated in the region and take a closer look at the role of logistics in the industrial s...

We investigate stakeholder relationship management and identify challenges that impact relationships at the healthcare process level using the inductive research approach. We adopt an inductive approach and grounded theory method since there is a need for detailed descriptions on stakeholder network, especially on relationship management. The emerg...

Purpose This study aims to focus on creating sales capability as part of new product development (NPD). The aim is to define generic requirements for building sales capability as a part of NPD and to propose a necessary process by defining key activities for sales readiness. Design/methodology/approach An inductive and qualitative research method...

The ongoing Industry 4.0 transformation places significant pressures on how businesses create and capture value. Technological advancements such as next-generation mobile communications are reshaping the business ecosystem of Industry 4.0, resulting in emerging business opportunities for new players, such as local operators, to collaborate and comp...

Currently, the increase in relational project contractsand integrated project deliveries indicates that companiesshould collaborate to facilitate more effective project delivery inindustrial projects. Collaborative project identity is considered acore concept in the evaluation of processes involved incollaborations between industrial projects. The...

Geomembranes are used worldwide as basin liners in tailings ponds to decrease the permeability of the foundation and prevent further transportation of harmful contaminants and contaminated water. However, leakage into the environment and damage to the geomembrane have been reported. This paper reviews available literature and recommendations on geo...

The construction industry suffers from low productivity, and the Building Information Modelling (BIM) has not been successful in enhancing the productivity and the flow of information throughout highly fragmented construction projects. Hence, this study aims to facilitate consistency in information and addresses the current gaps in BIM by applying...

Product Portfolio Management (PPM) is vital for companies to succeed. It aims to constitute a profitable entity for company products in the long term. The extant literature on PPM is, however, lacking in IT application-based discussion, which links to the potential of IT system independent analysis and reporting. One potential application is produc...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to achieve an understanding of the challenges and preconditions for inter-organizational collaborative project practices in industrial engineering projects. A framework for identifying the challenges and preconditions for inter-organizational collaboration is presented. Design/methodology/approach The adopted r...

Purpose This study aims to improve understanding of companies’ motives and concerns in relation to cooperation through a joint commercial product portfolio. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research method was used to study 17 companies based on two case projects. Findings The joint commercial product portfolio is introduced as a new t...

Productivity in the construction industry (both houses and infrastructure) has not been improving as expected, while other industries have been able to improve their productivity significantly. The appropriate use of building information modelling (BIM) technologies brings several benefits and advantages to construction projects. The main challenge...

Product portfolio management (ppm) should define, which products to develop, sell, deliver, maintain, and remove based on company's strategic targets. Aligning the product portfolio with business strategy is, however, seen challenging. Hence, an approach for ppm target setting over life-cycle is needed. A single-case study was conducted to examine...

Mobility as a service (MaaS) is an emerging concept offering integrated mobility services. Combining different transport modes and services, as well as collaboration of stakeholders, are prerequisites for viable and attractive MaaS services. MaaS is expected to increase the sustainability and efficiency of transport. Public-private-people partnersh...

Companies considering a shift from manufacturing and selling physical products to selling services face several questions. The current and potential offerings should be compared in the light of commercial and technical portfolio. The commercial offering visible to the customer needs to be designed, as well as how it is technically structured, inclu...

Digital transformation requires a continuous review of value creation, value capture, and resourcing. It is not reasonable to deliver only relieving service based on customer requests or suppliers pre-defined offering. The co-creational value definition has to be specified in the encountering process. In this paper we define a systematical service...

Harkonen, J., Mustonen, E., Haapasalo, H. (2019) "Construction Related Data Management – Classification and Description of Data from Different Perspectives", International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning. 8(2), 195-220.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse current challenges and to articulate the preconditions for data-driven, fact-based product portfolio management (PPM) based on commercial and technical product structures, critical business processes, corporate business IT and company data assets. Here, data assets were classified from a PPM perspective in te...

This study aimed to find a method to construct a customer-oriented joint commercial product portfolio for several independent companies to enable more effective market operations. The study also aimed to identify any related challenges. The findings indicate that a customer-oriented joint commercial product portfolio can be constructed through a fi...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to understand data management challenges in e-maintenance systems from a holistically viewpoint through summarizing the earlier scattered research in the field, and second, to present a conceptual approach for addressing these challenges in practice. Design/methodology/approach The study is real...

An effectual implementation of BIM is hampered by an ambiguity of interpretation of BIM by users. Despite the considerable anticipated advantages for BIM, this ambiguity is exacerbated by the difficulties inherent in a successful BIM implementation. To reap BIM's full potential, it is crucial to puzzle out the feasible values and risks of BIM imple...

Modelling of construction products and services has major impor- tance for effective productisation of construction companies’ of- fering. Productisation refers to the process of analysing customer needs and defining the offering both commercially and technically so that the efficiency of the productisation can be repeated and the offering is possibl...

Purpose The “big room” concept and lean philosophy have become increasingly popular in the construction industry. Visual control is a central part of lean philosophy and the big room concept; its aim is to improve information flow, joint problem-solving and real-time decision-making. Visual control facilitates effective project management by provid...

The growing importance of product data management and master data necessitate companies to have practices for deriving product master data from their corporate strategy. Business drivers need to be understood from the perspective of corporate strategy to capture product master data in relevant systems in a straightforward manner. Ideally master dat...

Emphasis on maintenance, repair, and operations inventory (MRO inventory) can lead to improvements in inventory control and productivity while reducing operational costs. This study focuses on different approaches to optimising and reducing spare part inventories by addressing the development of MRO inventory operations and by analysing the develop...

The purpose of this paper is to study the benefits of building information modelling (BIM) and determine the barriers to achieving these benefits. The use of BIM is not yet at a level where known benefits can be realised. This study consists of a literature review of the benefits of BIM and an empirical review, where focus group interviews were use...

The most significant difference between industrialization-driven product marketing and digitalization-driven service marketing can be seen in the definition of value creation, and the exchange (integration) of resources. Industrialization created efficiency in scale, whereas digitalization requires customer-oriented business models and value co-cre...

New Product Development (NPD) is vital for companies that operate in international markets. Yet, NPD has become increasingly challenging to manage; products are becoming ever more complex and various customers and multiple stakeholders' needs must be satisfied. Additionally, NPD is often conducted in multiple locations around the world. Product dev...

This article describes how new product development (NPD) is critical to maintaining a strong market position. However, full-scale NPD may consume too much time and resources when necessary to react quickly to customer needs or emerging business opportunities. Rapid development (RaDe) is a type of incremental product development complementing the or...

Product development organisations are facing an increasing amount of rapid, small-scale development projects to fulfil market and customer needs. Self-managing teams have been proposed as effective means in creating new radical innovation, but their use has not been widely studied in smaller and faster product development projects, which are increa...

Established companies need to take several aspects into account when considering the management of radical innovations and must simultaneously ensure the profitability and functioning of the existing business. The main contribution of this study lies in exploring how radical and incremental innovations are separated and managed. The paper intends t...

Rapid Development Handbook paves the footpath for companies facing challenges with their capability to response to urgent product development needs. This book brings together practices and tools researched in Product Management research group in University of Oulu, many of which have already been presented in scientific publications. As such, this...

Typical construction processes provide waste: material waste but especially process-related waste. The majority of this waste can be avoided with efficient planning in the front end of projects. The main aim is to describe how the concept of Design for Excellence (DfX) can reduce the most severe waste in construction projects. Based on a literature...

Purpose The previous literature has indicated that the productisation of services may play a role in service management, although a certain level of obscurity still surrounds the concept. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the meaning of service productisation (SP) as well as to contribute to a greater understanding of the concept....

Purpose: The article focuses on supply capability creation (SCC) within the new product development (NPD). The purpose is to establish an SCC process describing the main SCC activities and milestone criteria in preparing the supply process for new productsDesign/methodology/approach: The article analyses the earlier research, carries out current st...

The ever-increasing importance of creating and developing solutions and products that not only secure customer satisfaction but also enable cost efficient supply chain process are topical issues today. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to widen the scope of traditional new product development (NPD) process to cover the expected activitie...

Purpose This study aims to explore how to identify and manage opportunities successfully in a large multi-organizational infrastructure project. Large projects struggle with exploiting and capturing opportunities because of the lack of practices that support active and continuous opportunity management over the project lifecycle in inter-organizati...

Recent debate regarding the possibility for decreasing the risk of accidents within the construction industry has emphasized the need for innovative training methods. Training should combine behavior- and culture-based approaches, simulate real-life situations, and involve multiple methods. The concept of Safety Training Park (STP) has been develop...

Pressures to cut public expenditure and to reach high value for money of projects that use scarce public money are evident across the globe. At the same time there seems to be a lack of decision support tools for pin-pointing whether public services are yielding net benefits. Accountability is called for but the ‘accounting systems’ that validate t...